Running-gear for vehicles.



No. 731,803. PATENTBD JUNE 23, 1903..

R. A. MOORE.

RUNNING. GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AFB. 2' 1902.

no xonnn. FIG

. IN V E N T 0/? Robert 4. M00719.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1903.

OFFICE.

"ROBERT A. M ORE, OFNEWYORK, N. Y.

RUNNING-G EAR F R VFEH'ICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatnt No. 731,803, dated June 23, 903.

"Application filed April 2, 1902. Serial No. 191,028. No model-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. MOORE, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear for Vehicles, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is 'to provide an improved running-gear for vehicles whereby the vehicle may be given a much shorter turning radius than is possible with ordinary running-gears, a further object being to provide an improved running-gear of the class specified particularly adapted for use in con nection withlightvehicles-such as buggies,

carriages, and other vehicles of this class but which may also be applied to heavier vehicles, if desired, such as express-wagons, truck-wagons, and other vehicles.

The invention is fully disclosedin the following specificatiom'of which the accompany ing drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a side-bar buggy provided with my improved runninggear; Fig. 2, aplan view of the running-gear,

the body of the'buggybeing removed; Fig. 3, a bottom plan viewof a detail of the construction, and Fig. 4 a view of. one of the axles and showing the shape thereof and the parts connected therewith.

In the drawings forming partof this specification, reference being made to Fig. 1, I

have shown my improved running-gear ap plied to a side-bar buggy involving the usual axles a, the side-bars b, and body c,a'nd in wider ends thereof are brazed or otherwise secured to the axles a and the narrow ends extending inwardly toward the central portion of the running-gear or truck-frame of the vehicle. Over each of. the plates d and pivotally connected therewith at d is placed a similar plate c, and the wider ends of the plates 6 are segmental in form and provided each with a downwardly-directed flange c and these flanges overlap the outer ends of the plates d, which are also segmental in form. The plates e are rigidlyconnected by horizontal and parallel bars f, which are brazed or otherwise secured to said plates in any desired manner, and these bars pass through brackets or keepers g, which are rigidly secured thereto in any desired manner, and passing through the bottom portions of the brackets or keepers g is a shaft h, and the shaft h isprovided at its opposite end with beveled gear-wheels or pinions 72, which operate on segmental rack-bars or gears h secured to or formed on the bottoms of the plates d. Supported on the outer ends of the plates 6 and connected therewith in any desired manner are springs i, which support the side-bars b and the body 0 is connected with the'side-bars b in the usual or any preferred 'way. As thus constructed it will be seen that the plates d and e arefreeto move one upon the other, said plates being pivotally connected at (1 and in the turning of the vehicle the axles a will assume the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, and theturning radius of the vehicle will thus be greatly reduced.

In practice the side-bars b are provided with friction-plates, against which the wheels strike if at any time a too-short turn is attempted to be made and said friction-plates or the side-bars I) serve in the usual manner to limit the turning movement of the axle;

My improved runningear is simple in construction and operation and perfectly adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended, and changes in and modifications of the' construction described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the axles, of a vehicle of plates rigidly connected therewith and extending inwardly in the direction of the center of the truck-frame, a rigid longitudinal frame provided with end plates which rest on the first-named plates and which are pivotally connected therewith at their inner ends, brackets or keepers rigidly connected with said frame, a shaft mounted in said brackets or keepers longitudinally of said frame and below the same and below the first-named plates and provided at its opposite ends with beveled gears, and segmental gears connected with said first-named plates and in connection with which said beveled gears operate, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the axles of avehicle, of plates rigidly connected therewith and extending inwardly a predetermined distance, a rigid longitudinal frame provided with end plates which rest on the first-named plates and which are pivotally connected therewith at their inner ends, and at a predetermined distance from the axles, brackets or keepers rigidly connected with said frame,

:a shaft mounted in said brackets or keepers longitudinally of the said frame and below the same and below the first-named plates, beveled gear-wheels connected with the ends of said shaft, and segmental gears connected with the bottom of the first-named plates and in connection with which said beveled gears operate, the outer ends of the plates of the longitudinal frame being also provided with supports for the body of the vehicle, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionIhave signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 31st day of March, 1902.

ROBERT A. MOORE. Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, F. F. TELLER. 

